Written Answers Nos. 141-154
141. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the role his Department takes on ensuring access to broadband and telecommunication services in rural communities; if he has plans to address the lack of coverage for both broadband and mobile signal in many areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14932/25]
View answerThe roll-out of infrastructure for mobile telecommunications services in Ireland is primarily a matter for private mobile network operators, operating on a commercial basis in a liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). ComReg is statutorily independent in the exercise of its functions in accordance with section 11 of the Communications Regulation Act 2002.
ComReg completed a Multi-band Spectrum Award in January 2023 to assign long term rights of use in four spectrum bands to enable the market to provide improved services to meet increasing consumer demand for mobile data and new services. This award represents a 46% increase in the harmonised spectrum assigned for the provision of wireless broadband services in Ireland and includes significant coverage obligations for operators.
To assist consumers to choose the network provider that best meets their needs, ComReg continually updates and enhances its online national outdoor mobile coverage map (Service Coverage) available at www.comreg.ie, which provides clear information on where operators have good 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G coverage.
The Programme for Government 2025, sets a number of targets which include the completion of a high-speed fibre network to provide broadband access to 1.1 million people, including homes, farms, and businesses nationwide, by the end of 2026. The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland.
There are over 564,000 premises in the Intervention Area (IA). Design work has been completed by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) at 560,347 of all premises (99%) in the IA. There are 119,018 of those premises (35%) in the IA connected. 357,677 premises (63%) in the IA can order or pre-order broadband from NBI across all counties in mainly rural areas. NBI has also passed 344,819 premises (61%) in the IA. NBI are connecting around 4,000 premises to their fibre network per month. NBI expect to have passed over 420,000 premises by end of 2025. NBI has also signed contracts with 72 Retail Service Providers (RSP’s) with 68 of these having completed NBI’s onboarding process and they are selling services as connections become available.
My Department is aware of some evidence emerging, based on conversations with ComReg and commercial operators, that a portion of premises that do not form part of the intervention area may prove not to be commercially viable in terms of being connected to a gigabit network by 2028. The Department is investigating reasons for why such instances may arise with a view to identifying solutions. However, it is important to note that significant commercial rollout programmes by several operators are ongoing, and the scale of this potential problem can only be established upon completion of those commercial rollout programmes. My Department will continue to investigate this issue with relevant stakeholders such as ComReg and commercial operators and consider all options to inform potential future solutions.
142. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of actual and attempted cyberattacks on his Department during each of the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, the countries of origin of those attacks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14689/25]
View answerFor operational and security reasons, my Department cannot disclose details of its cyber security arrangements.
143. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline the total expenditure by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on external consultancy services over the past five years, by year, by SEAI business unit, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14742/25]
View answer153. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a list of consultant reports commissioned by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland over the past five years, including the title, author, date of completion, the cost of each report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14903/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 153 together.
The matters referred to in the Questions are operational matter for the SEAI. I have asked the SEAI to respond directly to the Deputy to provide the specific information sought as soon as possible. Additionally, the SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that such queries can be addressed promptly, in line with the SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@seai.ie.
144. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total sum spent on cybersecurity measures within his Department during each of the years 2022, 2023 and 2024. [14671/25]
View answerFor operational and security reasons, my Department cannot disclose details of its cyber security arrangements.
145. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 216 of 4 March 2025, the potential legislative solutions being considered; the timeframe for their evaluation; and when proposed legislation to address this issue is likely to be published. [14814/25]
View answerOne intervention area that my Department has been considering, in conjunction with ComReg, is content inspection on carrier messaging, often referred to as an 'SMS Filter', akin to an email spam filter. There are a number of ways content inspection on carrier messaging could be applied, most of which can be executed within our existing legislative framework.
One application would see the filter applied to all customer’s contracts by default. My Department is currently assessing the merits of this approach including any necessary legislation that would be required to implement it and the impact it would have on existing protections of end user rights in relation to interception and data protection, as provided in the ePrivacy Directive and the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).
The Department's ongoing deliberation includes a weighing of the proportionality of such a response and the impact on consumer's privacy rights; against the scale of the problem and the potential positive benefits of this course of action.
Any solution pursued to tackle nuisance communications, legislative or otherwise, must be considered and weighed carefully against privacy and data protection concerns. I expect that this evaluation process being conducted by my officials will be concluded shortly and until the outcome of this process is known, it is not possible to determine whether legislation will be drafted and when it would likely be published.
My colleague, Minister Donohoe, may also wish to update on the revised Payment Services Directive, which aims to ensure a more secure payments market for consumers by increasing security requirements.
146. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the actions his Department has taken to regulate and provide for the creation of SMS scam text filters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14845/25]
View answerMy Department is committed to tackling scam calls and texts across electronic communications networks and services.
It is necessary to explore a myriad of solutions as there is no one panacea for phone or SMS fraud. Instead, we must look to layer multiple protections together to truly mitigate the risks and safeguard consumers.
One intervention area that my Department has been considering, in conjunction with ComReg, is content inspection on carrier messaging, often referred to as an 'SMS Filter', akin to an email spam filter. There are a number of ways content inspection on carrier messaging could be applied. My Department is currently assessing the merits of each of these approaches.
One application would see the filter applied to all customer’s contracts by default. Officials in my Department are currently assessing the merits of this approach including any necessary legislation that would be required to implement it and the impact it would have on existing protections of end user rights in relation to interception and data protection, as provided in the ePrivacy Directive and the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).
My Department's ongoing deliberation includes a weighing of the proportionality of such a response and the impact on consumer's privacy rights; against the scale of the problem and the potential positive benefits of this course of action.
Any solution pursued to tackle nuisance communications, legislative or otherwise, must be considered and weighed carefully against privacy and data protection concerns. I expect that this evaluation process being conducted by my officials will be concluded shortly and when the outcome of this process is known, it will then be possible to determine whether enabling legislation will be required and when it would likely be published.
My colleague, Minister Donohoe, may also wish to update on the revised Payment Services Directive, which aims to ensure a more secure payments market for consumers by increasing security requirements.
147. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide an update on the Gas Network Ireland plans to split the station at Brighouse Bay.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14872/25]
View answerGas Networks Ireland (GNI) is a statutory body under the auspices of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, as the majority-shareholding Minister.
I, as Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, hold responsibility for gas policy.
Brighouse Bay compressor station compresses the natural gas which has been transported through GNI (UK)’s two onshore transmission pipelines in Southwest Scotland, for onward distribution through the two sub-sea interconnectors to the Isle of Man and Ireland.
I am advised that in 2024, Gas Networks Ireland completed a project to split the physical operation of the Brighouse Bay Compressor Station.
I am further advised that prior to the completion of this Brighouse splitting project, the gas flows entering the Brighouse Bay station converged into a single section of pipework before entering the two individual compressor halls. This section of pipe had been noted as a Single Point of Failure (SPOF) in the Security of Supply (EU Regulation 2017/1938) Risk Assessment which is submitted by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) to the European Commission every two years.
This Brighouse splitting project has removed this single point of failure on the GNI network in Scotland, thereby reducing the security of supply risk for the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man.
148. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications considering the large unexplained mortalities of 1,079+ sexually mature adult Atlantic salmon in the Ballysadare River, County Sligo in July 2024, how the rod angling harvestable quota can increase by nearly 300% for this calendar year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14887/25]
View answerAtlantic salmon conservation work at Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is supported by independent scientific advice provided by the Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS). River-specific scientific catch advice on our salmon fisheries is provided by TEGOS based on a forecast of the abundance of salmon which will return to each river in that year, comparison of the estimated returns to the river-specific conservation limit, and determination of harvest of salmon which could be made while allowing a high probability (75%) that the Conservation Limit will be met.
IFI then formulate and transmit this advice to my Department which informs the publication of the relevant draft Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations for public consultation. On conclusion of this process, the Regulations are finalised and enacted in advance of the upcoming fishing season.
My officials have consulted with IFI on this matter who have advised that the annual harvestable quota advised for the Ballysadare salmon stock is primarily based on adult returns from the fish counter located there. The most recent preceding five-year period with available data is considered along with any angling harvest below the counter. The primary reason the rod angling quota increased in 2025 compared to 2024 was that the mean counter returns of the respective five-year periods used was greater for 2025 than 2024. The excess mortalities documented in 2024 were omitted from the counter returns and calculations used to determine the harvestable quota advised. In addition to this, for the 2025 catch advice, TEGOS applied a raising factor of 5% to the fish counter data to account for the relatively small number of fish that may bypass the counter. It should be noted that despite the fish kill, the returns of adult salmon to the river were good in 2024 and above the required conservation limit.
149. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications under the Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout (Bag Limits) Bye-Law No. 1013 of 2024, the number of salmon licences, either local or national, that a recreational angler may be in possession of in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14888/25]
View answerThe Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout (Bag Limits) Bye-law No. 1013 of 2024 regulates the number of salmon or sea trout that a person shall take in 2025. Under this Bye-law, "a person shall not take by rod and line more than 10 fish in 2025, ‘’fish’’ meaning salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40cm) or both’’.
The classes of fisheries licences are governed by the Inland Fisheries Acts 1959 to 2017. Section 66 of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959 sets out the classes of fisheries licences, and Section 67(5) provides that ‘A separate ordinary fishing licence shall be issued for each separate fishing engine’. The expression “salmon rod ordinary licence” means an ordinary fishing licence to fish with rod and line for salmon.
Whilst the Inland Fisheries Acts make no reference to the number of salmon fishing licences that a recreational angler may take out, each angler must have a separate ordinary fishing licence for each fishing engine in use and shall not take more than 10 fish in any year irrespective of the number of ordinary fishing licences taken out for that year.
150. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to his Department producing a publication titled 'Towards a Policy Framework for Inland Fisheries in Ireland - A Roadmap' on 27 January 2021, why this policy initiative was a complete failure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14889/25]
View answerThe development of a new policy statement for the inland fisheries sector is a significant and complex undertaking which will take account of developments and challenges around conservation, ecological and environmental issues over recent years. Significant progress has been made by my Department in its development. The policy statement will also have regard to ongoing initiatives such as the Inland Fisheries Ireland's (IFI) Corporate Planning process for 2026-2030. My intention is to submit the draft policy for public consultation this year and I look forward to doing so.
151. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications given that, between 19 November and 18 December 2024, inclusive, his Department ran a public consultation on the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2024 and Conservation Measures for the 2025 Season, but that, less than twenty four hours after the consultation closed these regulations were signed into law on 19 December, whether the consultation was just a box ticking exercise for his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14890/25]
View answerIn accordance with section 69(8) of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010, my predecessor launched a public consultation process which was published in the Irish Independent and on the Gov.ie website on 19 November 2024 regarding the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2024 and the conservation measures to be implemented for the 2025 Season. This process concluded on 18 December 2024, and during this consultation period, submissions were received from fishing organisations, individual stakeholders and members of the general public.
All submissions, many of which received in the earlier part of the thirty day consultation window, were reviewed immediately on receipt by officials within the Department. This review formed a part of the submission forwarded to my predecessor before a decision was made on the legislative regulations to be introduced for the 2025 angling season. The submissions will also be taken into account as part of the development of the Regulations for the 2026 season.
All submissions received have been uploaded to the Department's website and are available to the public for information purposes.
152. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications given that last year, the fish health unit of the Marine Institute identified the Aeromonas hydrophila bacterium in wild brown trout from Lough Corrib SAC, what measures his Department, and Inland Fisheries Ireland, will put in place to prevent the spread of this bacteria to other watercourses, particularly wild brown trout populations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14891/25]
View answerThe prevention of the spread of bacteria such as Aeromonas Hydrophila in any fish species from one watercourse to another is an operational matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), the Agency with statutory responsibility for the protection, conservation and development of the inland fisheries resource in Ireland. IFI has established a specific email address for queries from members of the Oireachtas so that queries in relation to operational matters can be addressed promptly, in line with IFI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards.
The email address is oireachtas@fisheriesireland.ie.
154. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a building (details supplied) is currently in the possession of the ESB; if the ESB has any intention of renting or selling this building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14905/25]
View answerESB is a commercial State body, under the aegis of my Department, established under the Electricity Supply Act 1927. ESB is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department.
This is an operational matter for ESB and not one in which I have any function. The Deputy may wish to contact ESB directly via Oireachtas@esb.ie in relation to the Question raised.
